Chapter 65: The Collateral Conditions of the Transfer

Mo Mo was not particularly surprised by Su Xixi’s refusal.

In China, those who truly wish to pursue football as a career, or who are willing to let their children become professional footballers, are, after all, in the minority. It is much like India, where almost everyone expects their children to become engineers. Su Xixi came from a comfortable background; while she was confident in her goalkeeping skills, she had no intention of becoming a professional player. Given this, Mo Mo’s failure to recruit her was entirely within reason.

As for Rong Guang and Zhang Meng, the former was only sixteen and the latter was nearly twenty-three. While both possessed decent individual traits, neither was ready for immediate use—even TSV 1860 Munich had no interest in them. Regarding this, Mo Mo had already considered a package deal. (When Mario Balotelli’s brother joined a Serie B club, his contract included a clause requiring Balotelli to attend home matches to support him.)

Mino offered some sound advice on this condition: it would be far more acceptable for Rong Guang to attend the youth academy of the club Mo Mo transferred to, while Zhang Meng joined the youth squad. Otherwise, could he really expect them to start or serve as substitutes for the first team?

In truth, these were not the primary concerns on Mo Mo’s mind. He was focused on a young man named Wang Qidong. Wang happened to be a training partner for Liu Xiang (a purely fictional detail). Since Liu Xiang was a hurdler, Wang Qidong’s speed and jumping ability were naturally extraordinary, especially considering that Liu Xiang had to clear hurdles while running. In this context, Mo Mo saw a potentially dangerous striker, but Mino suggested that he was better suited as an attacking midfielder or a winger.

What was going on? Mo Mo thought Rong Guang was a striker, but Mino said he was better suited as a winger or a shadow striker. Mo Mo thought Zhang Meng would be a powerful forward, but Mino insisted he was a defensive midfielder! Now, Mo Mo saw Wang Qidong as a striker, and Mino again claimed he was better suited as a winger or attacking midfielder.

Seeming to understand Mo Mo’s confusion, Mino offered an explanation. Rong Guang possessed the speed and explosiveness essential for a winger—qualities also needed by strikers, of course. But the issue was that Rong Guang had a remarkably crafty crossing ability, and Mo Mo possessed incredible predatory instincts in the box. They were a wing-partner duo custom-made for one another!

Most importantly, Mino didn’t believe Mo Mo was well-suited for the traditional "one tall, one fast" partnership. Mo Mo’s unpredictability and aggressive breakthroughs were easily capable of throwing an opponent's defense into chaos. When Mo Mo struck, it was usually lethal. However, a man’s strength is limited; what if he had Rong Guang lurking behind him? With his blinding speed, Rong Guang could exploit the space behind the defense, where the offside rule did not apply.

As for Zhang Meng, his ball control was truly rough, making it difficult for him to dribble past opponents, though his sheer physical presence in challenges was useful. For some reason, Zhang Meng had poor positional awareness for attacking, mediocre average speed, clumsy footwork, and struggled to control his power on close-range shots. Yet, he possessed sudden explosive bursts of speed, his long-range shots were powerful and accurate, and his defensive positioning was like a moving wall. Furthermore, his ability to slide in for a tackle was as fast as lightning.

When mentioning this, Mino looked at Mo Mo with a strange expression. Mo Mo silently decided he wouldn't take the blame for this. In the early days of Chinese football, people believed that East Asians lacked physical endurance and strength, so they focused solely on physical training from a young age. Consequently, the later generation of Chinese players was mostly comprised of physically imposing individuals with poor technical skills. If you don't train technique as a child, how can you expect to master it as an adult? Chinese coaches didn't understand this, so they insisted on using the burly Zhang Meng as a striker, with predictable results.

Mino looked at Mo Mo with an expression that said, "You're the boss, you decide."

Fine! Mino was only responsible for the signings; it was already a blessing that he hadn't charged Mo Mo for the scouting intelligence on these guys. In a sense, Mo Mo could be considered the mentor or guide for both Rong Guang and Zhang Meng.

Without further ado, Mo Mo extended an invitation to Wang Qidong, who refused without hesitation. "No thanks. A lot of clubs these days can't even pay their wages."

Fair enough. During a certain period, salary arrears had become the norm in Chinese football clubs, a practice Hao Haidong had once criticized publicly. It was said that later, when Didier Drogba came to the Chinese Super League, the club still owed him wages. Foreigners weren't accustomed to this "delaying tactic," and the result was a messy parting of ways.

"It’s not a domestic club, it’s abroad."

Mo Mo was already sweating. Was being a training partner really that rewarding? In reality, Mo Mo didn't understand Wang Qidong’s heart. As a professional hurdler, he had been defeated by an athlete who had only switched to the sport from high jumping and long jumping. How could he possibly let that slide? Besides, he genuinely had no desire to play football, nor did he know how.

"Not going. Even if I wanted to, my coach wouldn't agree."

Wang Qidong’s tone began to waver, and Mo Mo’s eyes were filled with frustration. Was it really this hard to help people get ahead in life these days?

Wang Qidong’s coach was named Su Yisheng. When Su Yisheng heard the news, he didn't actually object. He knew Wang Qidong was a talented prospect, but what could he do with Liu Xiang in the mix? More importantly, his nephew, Su Yisheng (who was quite the animal, figuratively speaking), was very interested in football. However, when Mo Mo and Mino met this nephew, they both made it clear they had no interest in a two-hundred-pound pig. Although Coach Su was disappointed, he didn't force the issue, and the simple prototype of what would later become the infamous "Chinese Gang" was formed.

Since it was already December and the Spring Festival was approaching, no one had plans to travel far. Mino had never truly believed that Mo Mo had no family, but at this point, he had no choice but to accept it.

"Kid! How do you plan to spend the holidays? I’m heading back; Zlatan is looking for me regarding his winter transfer—he wants to go to Juventus."

"Alright, go ahead! I’m old enough to handle myself, aren't I?"

In truth, Mo Mo wasn't handling it well at all. He had been sitting on a park bench for a long time, wearing a mask, watching the bustling, festive crowd pass by. He had tried searching for information about his past life and calling the numbers of his former home, but it all simply did not exist. As for the training system, it could be used anywhere—even sitting on a park bench with his eyes closed.

"Hey! Do you think that guy is going to catch a cold? He looks so pathetic."

"Why are you being so nosy? Is he your dad or your boyfriend?"

"What are you talking about! The school doesn't allow dating!!!"

"Well, so-and-so in the class next door is..."

The voices faded into the distance. Mo Mo didn't pay much attention, but after some time, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Hey, what school are you from? Here, have some milk tea. Did you have a fight with your family?"

"You silly girl, look at him wearing a mask—he’s clearly a delinquent. Just give him the tea and let's go!!! Ah!!!!!"